Closure operating device



May 16, 1933. A. s. KATZ CLOSURE OPERATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1932 1NV EN TOR.

HLM/m1315775 M72 j E A TTORNEY n v II. 9L

SIL

Patented Mayy 16, 1933 UNITED sraxrlas ALEXANDER s. xA'rz, oF BaooxLYN,N Ew Yom:

cLosUBE OPERATING nevica Application med February zo,r lesa serial No.594,166.l Y

be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

Theinvention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which willy beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of application will be indicatedin the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which. is shown one of the variouspossible illustrative embodiments of this invention, c

Fig. 1 is ali-inside elevational view of a refrigerator wall and arefrigerator door provided With a door closing device embodying theinvention; c

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View` taken on line 2-2 of Fig.`1; c

' Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.;

` Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the door in openposition; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. f

`Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a refrigeratorwall havinga door opening 11 for the door 12 which is hinged to saidwallon hinges 13, and is adaptedv to be o cned outwardly by the latchmechanism 14. T e door 12 is provided withV a door closing device 15embodying the invention.

Said closing device 15 comprises a bracket 16 attached to the inner sideA17 of the door, in any suitable manner, as for example, by screws 18,said bracket 16 being provided with abearing opening 20. Pivoted to saidY 5G bracket 16 is a socket member 21 having a pin 22 ournaled in saidbearing 20, and a head 23 contacting the rear of the bracket16. Themember 21`is further formed with'a Wall 24 providedwith an axial throughopening 25 s and with a cylindrical socket portion 26. f

` said tubular member to said socket.

The wall 24 thus forms an end wall for the tubular member 29; Slidably"extending through said axial opening 25 is a screw threaded member 31to the outer end of which is attached a knob 32 for turning of saidscrew 65 threaded member. Screwed tothe opposite end of themember 31 isa member 33 of any suitable construction having bifurcated ends 34interconnectedby a transverse pin 35.

Partially housed in the tubular member 29 70 is an-elongated tensionspring 36anchored at .its linner end to lthe member 33 by means of anintegral eyelet portion 37 received between the bifurcated members 34and around pin 35. The `engagement of said eyelet portion 37 in the slotbetween the bifurcated members 34 prevents member 33 from turning withinthe tubular member 29. At `the upper end thereofs ring36 isv provided'with another prefer. ly integral eyelet portion 38 80 extending througha ring 39. Attached to said ring 39 is a hanger member 41'preferablymade of a singleA elongated piece of spring wire, having upwardlyandoutwardly diverging armr Vportions 42 and 43 intercon- 85 nected byakcoiled portion 44 received within said ringr 39. The upper end 46 ofthe arm 43 may be in the form of a hook'and is attached to an eyelet orthe like fastening member 47 fixed to the inner wall 1() adjacent the 90door. The upper end ofrthe arm 42 is likewisepreferably in the form of ahook 49 which'engages an eyelet or the like attaching member 50 fixed tothe inner face 17 of the door 12. The attaching members and 50 95closed, the spring 36 is preferably under 100 tension for normallyretaining the door in closed position. Upon opening the door, by reasonof the increase in linear distance between the attaching members 47 and50, the spring 36 will be further tensioned so that upon releasing thedoor from any open position thereof, the door will be swung back toclosed position. By means of the handle 32 the tension spring 36 may beadjusted. Obviously upon turning the handle in such direction as to pullthe member 33 downwardly, the tension on the spring will be increased.

AIn securing the device 15 to the door 12 and wall 10, the brackets 16is preferably first attached to a suitable portion of the door. Theattaching members 47 and 5() are then fixed to the wall and door,respectively, in such position that the arms 42 and 43 must be forcedapart and the spring 36 must be pulled or stretched several inchesbeyond the outer end of the tube 29 to cause engagement between thehooks 46 and 49 and the eyelets 47 and 50, respectively. The door willthen be retained in closed position by the spring. The tube 29 serves tohouse and protect the spring and the usting members, and obviates dangeroi injury from contact with said members, while at the same time makingfor neatness in appearance.

By reason of the pivotal connection between the member 21 and thebracket 16, the tube 29 together with said member 21 may pivot about thebracket as the door is opened or closed. The tension produced by forcingthe arms 42 and 43 apart before engaging the upper ends thereof with theeyelets 47 and 50 aids in normally urging the door to closed position.As will be readily understood, the tension of the spring 36 causes adownward pull on the ring 39 and coil portion 44 of the member 41, whichpull is in turn transmissable along the arms 42 and 43, so thatcomponents of these pulls act at the connection between the upper endsof said arms and the members 49 and 50, to retain the Vdoor in closedposition or return the door to closed position after the door is opened.

Although the device 15 is shown herein as applied tov a refrigeratordoor, it will be clearly understood that my improved device may' beattached to any suitable door or closure member, the upper end of thearm 43 being attached to the door amb. As shown in the drawing, theinner surface of the wall 10 is substantially flush with the innersurface 17 of the door 12. It is obvious, however, that where a deviceis applied to a door and door jamb. which is offset from the innersurface of the door, the eyelet 47 may be attached to the inner surfaceof the door jamb.'

Upon opening or closing the door, the tubular member 24 mayswing aboutthe pin portion 22 which is journaled in the bracket 16. The device15.1nay be attached to the outside of the door for normally opening thedoor; In such case, the bracket 16 would be attached to the outer sideof the door and the members 47 and 50 would be attached to the outersurface of the door 12, respectively. Upon releasing the latch 14, thespring 36 would, in such case, canse a downward pull on the arms 42 and43 which would cause the door to open automatically.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made in the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Eatent:

1. A device 'for causing closing of a door comprising a member attachedto the door, an elongated tubular member having an end wall pivoted tosaid irst member, said end wall having an opening, a screw threadedmember slidably extending through said opening, a member having a s crewthreaded connection with said screw threaded member and disposed withinsaid tubular member, said last member having a bifurcated end portionforming a slot, an elongated spring having a portion at one end thereofreceived in said slot and attached to said bifurcated portion, a pair ofdiver-ging arms attached to the other end of said spring, means forconnecting the end of one arm to a wall adjacent said door and the endof the other arm to the door.

A device for controlling a closure member, comprising a member adaptedto be attachcd to said closure member, a member pivoted to said irstmember and having an openingtherethrough, a screw threaded memberslidably extending through said opening and having a handle at one endthereof, to permit said screw member to be turned, a member having ascrew threaded connection with said screw member, an elongated coiltension spring` having one end connected to said last mentioned member,and a pair of diver-ging arms connected to the other end of said spring.

' A device for controlling a closure member, comprising a member adaptedto be attached to said closure member, a member pivoted to said firstmember and having an open ing therethrrmgh, a screw threaded niemberslidably extending through said opening and having a handle at one endthereof, to permit said screw member to be turned, a memberhavingl ascrew threaded connection with said screw member, an elongated coiltension spring having one end connected to said last mentioned member,and a member made of a single Velongated piece of spring metal having apair of diverging arms, and a portion interconnecting said divergingarms and connected to the other end of said spring.

A device for controlling a closure member, comprising a bracket adaptedto be attached to the closure member, a member attached to said bracketand having a through opening, a screw extending through said opening, anelongated coil tension spring connected at one end thereof to saidscrew, and a member made of asingle elongated piece of spring metalhaving a pair of diverging arms, and a portion interconnecting said armsattached to the other end of said spring.

A, device for controlling a closure member, con'iprising a bracketadapted to be attached to said. closure member, a member attached tosaid bracket and having an opening therethrough, a screw/slidablyextending through said opening and having a handle attached to one endthereof to permit turning of said screw, a member having a screwthreaded connection with said walls and provided with a` pair ofbifurcated ends, a transverse pin interconnecting said bifurcated ends,an elongated coil tension spring having an end portion received betweensaid bifurcated ends and engaging said pin, and a pair of diverging armsconnected to the opposite end of said spring.

6. A door controlling device comprising a bracket adapted to be attachedto the door, an elongated tube having an end wall attached to saidbracket, said end wall having an opening therethrough. coaxial with saidtubular member, a screw slidably extending through said opening intosaid tube, and having a handle attached to the outer end theresaidsecond eye, and a member made of av single piece of elongated springmetal comprising a pair of diverging arms and an interconnecting coilportion received within said ring, and means for attaching the upperends of said diverging arms to the door and door j amb, respectively.

8. A door controlled device comprising a bracket adapted to be attachedto the door,

a .member pivoted to said bracket and having an elongated tubularportion, a screw slidablyextending into said tubular portion, anelongated coil tension spring connected at one end thereof to saidscrew, and a member made of a single piece of spring metal having a pairof diverging arms, and a portion interconnecting said arms and attachedto the other end of said spring.

In testimony whereof I aiiX 1n si nature.

ALEXANDERV ATZ.

of, a member having a yscrew threaded connection with said screw andhaving a bifurcated end portion forming a slot, an elongated coiltension spring housed withinsaid tubular member and having an endthereof within said slot and attached to said bifurcated portion,

gle elongated pair of piece of spring metal having a member having a pinjournaled within said bearing opening, an elongated ltubular memberattached to said last member, said last member forming anend wall forsaid tubular member and being provided with a through opening coaxialwith said tubular member, a

and a member made of a sin-V diverging arms interconnected by a coiledportion, means for connecting the opposite end of the spring to saidcoiled poro

